Increasingly, telecommunications equipment is being operated in a hands-free manner. Even in the case of the common office telephone, an increasing number of units include a speakerphone capability. Video teleconferencing equipment also ordinarily provides one or more table-top microphones used to pick up the audio associated with the various participants.
There are at least two problems associated with current equipment operated in a hands-free manner. First, those on the other end of the line are usually aware that a speakerphone is being used due to the poor, echo-like quality of the sound. This disturbs some people to the point that some individuals will ask that they be taken off of the “squawk box.” A second problem is that those on the sending end never really know how their voices sound, and this causes users to get close to, or even shout into, the microphone.